A question for religious people, just because I am curious - assuming you are a Christian for example, your religion's beliefs and insistence on enforcing those beliefs have caused thousands of years of bloodshed, war, tyranny, and prejudice. What do you think of this? Shouldn't religion be a positive force, not such a negative one? Is this a history that you are proud to be part of? Or how do you deal with it?
2006-06-13 01:39:04 · 11 answers · asked by ontario ashley 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It does not bother me in the slightest. How can such tyranny have come from a true Christian? That's not Love, that's not how Jesus would ever want people to act in His precious name.
Rather, those who participated in such heinous deeds were users of the faith for their own political agenda's and had no real love for Christ. They have nothing to do with me.
2006-06-13 01:46:35 · answer #1 · answered by arewethereyet 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I am with my fellow witness, sunpekes, on this one. Since my religion is not involved in war, bloodshed, tyranny, or enforcement of religious beliefs, I have nothing about which to be bothered. If anyone lost an ancestor to the Crusades or the Inquisition, he was not lost at the hand of a Witness. If anyone lost a loved one in any of the twentieth century wars, that loved one did not die by the hand of a Witness of Jehovah. In this, then, I am proud of the historical position of neutrality among my fellow witnesses. To this day, there are still witnesses suffering in prison for refusing to participate in any form of carnal warfare. I am hurt that they are imprisoned, but I am proud of them.
2006-06-13 09:03:26 · answer #2 · answered by Hannah J Paul 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well of course it does. How could it not? Who wouldn't want to go back to the crusades and give Baldwin a good smack upside the head?
But history is history. I can't smack Baldwin upside the head. We can only correct the now. As Mother Theresa said, "Let us begin."
[Now that said - I think it important to note that many overstate the role of religion in war. Most wars have been over territory and political dominance. Sometimes religion is brought in as an excuse war, but as often as not it isn't even present in war at all. The 20th century was the bloodiest century in history, and a lot of that was war between officially secular states (some of which officially favoured atheism, like the Soviet Union, North Korea, China, Viet Nam, and Cambodia.)]
Sapso: you may want to re-read the Book of Joshua in the Tanakh - reads a lot like war to me.
2006-06-13 09:40:49 · answer #3 · answered by evolver 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I certainly don't believe that anyone should shove their viewpoint down the throats of others. I am a Christian and no, I'm not proud of what happened hundreds of years ago.People have done horrible things in the name of God- but that shouldn't make you hate Christians now. Think about it- if you hate Christians, it makes you no better than the wrong-doers of the past. You can find radical people in any group. Do you hate all Muslims because of 911?
To be a Christian means to be "Christ-like" and Christ died for everyone- not just the "faithful"- he died for sinners. (And we are all sinners.) To answer your question- I am proud to be a Christian- I would hate to think of a life without God.
As far as the war is concerned, I believe that we are doing the right thing. Saddam Hussein is a horrible man who needed to be removed from power. I think it is our responsibility to protect people who are being abused. What would have happened if we hadn't stepped into WWII?
2006-06-13 09:06:19 · answer #4 · answered by tiredofliberals 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am jewish. One of the most basic laws in Judiasm is "you shall not commit murder" (Exodus 20:13). unlike christianity and islam, Judiasm does not encourage forcing the religion on people who are not born Jewish. according to us, people who were not born Jewish have to obey the seven laws of Noah's sons and not the 613 that we jews must obey, and even that isn't forced on them. Indeed if you look throughout history Jews did not kill for religion unlike christianity (the spanish inquisition, the crusades) and Islam (El-quaida).
p.s. I really don't mean to offend anyone - I'm sure no-one here would really murder because of their religion and I certainly don't think most christians and muslims would.
In the book of Joshua there is killing. According to our tradition, the canaanites were given a choice to make make peace with the Israelites and accept their ruling over them, or escape the land of Israel (which one of the seven nations, the Girgashi, did) but since they refused the Israelites did war with them. You can also see in the book of Joshua that Rachav and her family were saved because they made peace with the Israelites (Joshua 2).
2006-06-13 08:53:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to understand there are always two types of believers in any religious camp:
1. There are those who follow the written word and practice love.
2. There are those who claim to be Christian's but their action speak louder than there words.
Am i ashamed YES but I understand that the ones who did the evil were not following the true ways of Christianity they were only following their own greed and claiming to do it in the name of Christ.
There are many GOOD works done in the name of Christianity do not throw out the baby with the bath water.
2006-06-13 08:56:35 · answer #6 · answered by williamzo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is known world wide by millions that Jehovah's Witnesses do not fight. We shed no blood. we harm no one. A True witness will be killed before killing or causing to be killed. Many have been jailed over this, the refusal to reject our beliefs.
You can read about our non violence on our website and find many answers there right now.
2006-06-13 08:50:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
politicans. desire for oil. moslem countries have oil. terrorists step in and do something bad. politicians have excuse. politicans wage war.
even the terrorist organizations are political. they have political goals. they have no resources to fight strong nations. they use terrorism.
leaders of terrorists are politicans that aren't as powerful as those in the west.
equating whats's happening in the middle east with religion is what politicians from both sides want you to do. this takes the heat off them.
2006-06-13 19:22:45 · answer #8 · answered by Stuie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not for me that's one of the reasons it's atheism all the way for me. That coupled with the fact I have more brain cells than toes.
2006-06-13 08:45:35 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, not really. This isn't a war against religion from our standpoint.
2006-06-13 08:55:39 · answer #10 · answered by amorgan4osu 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋